Many of our readers will remember Laurel Street, our young boots-on-the-ground reporter from Bangkok, Thailand. She left the U.S. last August to volunteer for three months with an organization that provides aftercare for human trafficking victims. She described her assignment for us in an early post in August 1015.
Most of my daily work in Thailand will revolve around serving victims and their families in a transitional housing community. I’ll be mentoring and counseling, and helping them learn new job skills. The community where I’ll be volunteering offers a variety of skills for rescued victims to learn: jewelry making, sewing, farming, baking and barista training to name a few. I’ll be working alongside victims as a barista in a coffee shop run by the organization.
Laurel was a young woman fresh out of a graduate program at Georgia Tech, when she was immersed into the dark and shocking world of pimps and prostitutes and coercion and corruption. We learned much from her poignant accounts of the pain and suffering of victims, yet, we gained hope from her touching personal stories written from the facility where she helped care for and minister to survivors. Since returning home, she has written some follow-up posts for us as she processed and reflected on her time away. Laurel allowed us to struggle with her throughout her journey as she tried to make sense of the senseless.
Laurel, we at End Crowd want to thank you for sharing your experiences with us. We wish you the best as you discern your future and can only imagine how those three months in Thailand will impact your life. A favorite quote in our offices here at End Crowd reminds us of you as you head into the rest of your life: You make a living by what you earn. You make a life by what you give.” (Winston Churchill)
This post, perhaps Laurel’s last to appear on our News Channel, is just pure JOY as she shares with us her favorite 20 memories of Thailand. Enjoy!
To read her entire post, click on the link below.
Freedom United is interested in hearing from our community and welcomes relevant, informed comments, advice, and insights that advance the conversation around our campaigns and advocacy. We value inclusivity and respect within our community. To be approved, your comments should be civil.